Zetsubō Forest
by Genie of the Fourth Wall
Summary: They were the best of the best. They didn't deserve to be trapped in an enclosed forest with a crazy monochromatic bear, forced to kill each other in order to escape. But life isn't fair. Life is full of despair. But it's also full of hope. Which will be stronger? "You might find the answers you're looking for if you venture into the woods." (SYOC closed)
1. Chapter 1

Hope's Peak Academy. A prestigious school for the best of the best. My name is Nana Shiruku, and I'm going to attend that school. They call me the Ultimate Seamstress. I can't believe it, to be perfectly honest. I mean, I've always been good at sewing, but I would've never dreamed I was good enough to be accepted into Hope's Peak. I arrived at the school a few days ago in order to get comfortable in my dorm. I live in a rural village pretty far from the city, so I'm pretty excited. Actually, scratch that. To say I'm excited is an understatement. Just being in the city is amazing, but... Well, I think I've already made my excitement about Hope's Peak abundantly clear. The term starts tomorrow. _Tomorrow, I'll be attending Hope's Peak Academy._ That thought sends shivers down my spine. I look forward to meeting my classmates the most. They have to be awesome people, in order to have been accepted into Hope's Peak Academy. Then again, I'm not very awesome. I'm a good at sewing. So what? The word "Ultimate" isn't really something I'd use to describe myself.

I'm snapped out of my rather pessimistic thoughts by a yawn. I really am tired. I shouldn't freak out so much, or else I'm going to have no energy for tomorrow. I decide to go to bed. Despite my extreme anticipation, I manage to drift off to sleep.

~•~•~•~•~

As I wake up, the first thing I notice is that the ground below me is hard, unlike my soft, fluffy bed in the the dorm room. My eyes slowly flutter open, and I see I'm... Outside? I realize the hard surface I'm laying on is tightly packed dirt. That realization causes me to jump to my feet. I take a lot of pride in my work, so I wouldn't want it to get dirty. Fully awake, I examine my surroundings. I seem to be in some sort of forest clearing.

"Okay then..." I mutter under my breath.

Despite the extremely odd circumstances, I know I'm not dreaming. I guess most people would assume they're dreaming, but something in the back of my mind tells me this is definitely not a dream. Which worries me on many levels. If this isn't a dream, how did I get here? Where exactly is "here"? I mean, it's a forest (duh), but how far am I from Hope's Peak? There's a path at the opposite end if the clearing; I decide to follow it. As I walk through the forest, I feel extremely uneasy. All things considered, it's kinda understandable. Even so, the forest itself is so... Peaceful. The birds are quietly chirping, the sunlight is warm, and a gentle breeze causes my scarf to flutter. Ah, my scarf! I hold up one of the ends and run my fingers over the material. That calms my nerves a bit. It's a weird, nervous habit of mine. Ironically, I actually didn't make this scarf. It was a gift... My train of thought is interrupted when the path leads me into another clearing. It looks exactly like the one I woke up in, except there's two paths, one directly in front of me and one to the left. I continue forward, hoping I'm not caught in some sort of maze. I have a horrible sense of direction. Before I even reach what I hope will be the exit but will most likely be another clearing, the path splits off in two directions.

"Great, it _is_ a maze," I say aloud.

I hear a some rustling down the right path. It's probably a rabbit or something like that. Still, it rubs me the wrong way for some reason. I decide to take the left path. It leads to... Another clearing. Well, can't say that surprises me. What _does_ surprise me is what's in the clearing. In the middle of the clearing, another person lies unconscious.

 **A/N: And that concludes the introduction to Zetsubō Forest (which translates to Despair** **Forest** **in Japanese, for those of you who were curious). Now's the fun part. The part where you submit your OCs! I'll be accepting fourteen OCs to join Nana in her journey. All I have to say here is be detailed and creative. Oh, and send through PMs only, please. You can find the form on my profile as well. Have fun! _**Update! I am no longer accepting male OCs. All of the spots are taken.**_**

 **Name: (Japanese names only, unless you have a good reason for it to be otherwise. No, exchange student doesn't count unless you can make it interesting. Include nicknames, self-proclaimed or otherwise, and if their opinion on the name.)**

 **Age: (14-18, unless you have a good reason for it to be otherwise)**

 **Gender and Sexuality: (You can do some interesting things here, but be reasonable)**

 **Ultimate Talent: (No canon talents. The chances of me choosing a Lucky Student is incredibly slim since Komaeda is the "true" Ultimate Lucky Student.)**

 **Appearance: (Eye color, hair color and style, height, body type, etc. Be realistic, BTW.)**

 **Outfit: (Includes any accessories and their general style, in case a situation for an alternate outfit pops up.)**

 **Personality: (This is the most important part of your character. Have fun!)**

 **Speech Patterns and Habits: (Whether a repeated phrase, accent, nervous habit, or anything else that fits in this category.)**

 **Backstory: (Note: Dark doesn't equal interesting. I'm all for dark, but it doesn't have to be.)**

 **Likes and Dislikes: (Just in general.)**

 **Hobbies: (Stuff they like to do outside of their talent.)**

 **Secrets: (They don't need to be dark or even extremely important. Not saying they can't, though.)**

 **Fears: (See Secrets. The same principle applies.)**

 **Romance: (Are you okay with your character being involved eir character, that could make things even more interesting. What kind of person would they fall for, and how would they react around that person? Oh, and just because you say yes here doesn't mean it'll happen.)**

 **Motives: (What could drive your character to kill? Even if it may not seem like their initial personality, what could change that?)**

 **Murder and Trials: (How would they react to the murders? What if they discovered the body? How would they act differently if they were close to the victim or were the blackened? What role would they play in the investigation and trial?)**

 **Execution (Optional): (If they were the blackened, how would they be executed. This may or may not be used, it depends.)**

 **Other: (Any other important things about your character?)**


	2. Chapter 2

I let out a gasp. There are other people in this forest? The person on the ground is a girl, around my age. She's wearing a dark blue long-sleeved jacket, a rose-colored shirt, and a long, black skirt (The first think I notice about people is their clothing. It's an odd quirk of mine). Her silky hair frames her face as she lies on the ground, and her bang completely covers her left eye. _Well that seems... impractical. Augh! Stop staring and help her!_ After I break out of my shock, I rush over to her side. As I approach her, I'm met with the smell of... perfume? She starts to stir, but she doesn't open her eyes. Well, the one I can see anyway. I gently shake her.

"Hey, wake up," I murmur.

"Who are you?" The girl responds immediately, startling me. Her eyes remain closed, however. _Odd._

"My name is Nana Shiruku. And you are...?"

"Mayoi Miyazaki. It's nice to meet you, Nana."

I help her to her feet. I try to let go of her once we're up, but she shakes her head.

"Oh, um, I'm blind. Would you mind if I...?"

"Ah! No problem." Mayoi rests her hand on my shoulder. _So she's blind. That would explain why her eyes are closed. It's not like they would do her any good if they were opened._

"So, do you know how we got here? I woke up in a clearing similar to this, but I have no idea how I got from Hope's Peak to here," I say.

"Wait, you go to Hope's Peak Academy?" Her voice is incredulous, but her face remains more or less the same. It's probably because her eyes are still closed.

"Yeah, I'm the Ultimate Seamstress. Why, do you go there too?"

"Yes and no. Yes, I'm the Ultimate Aromatherapist. No, I have no idea how I got here." So she's clueless too. Why are we here? The premonition that something very, very bad is going to happen fills me with panic. _Stop it. You're overreacting._ I take a deep breath. _I_ don't _like these woods._

"Aromatherapist? So you work with oils and stuff like that, right?" I ask, trying to break the tension. I figure her talent would be a more casual topic.

"Ah, yes! In fact, I always carry my most important oils with me," she says happily, gesturing to the small pack around her waist. She doesn't seem that concerned about our situation. She opens the pack, and the smell from earlier hits me with full force.

"Wow, that smells really nice," I say, smiling. Just the smell alone has a calming affect. "Anyway, we should try and find a way out of here. We're stuck in a maze, but we may be able to find other people."

"Well, I'm following you," Mayoi gives me a calm smile. Now that I know there are other people here, I decide to backtrack and follow the other path. That rustling may not have been a rabbit after all. The two of us follow that path into another clearing. Just as we're about to step into the clearing, somebody pushes me.

"Sorry, babe," a clearly male voice says in a not-so-sincere tone. He turns around when he reaches the middle of the clearing. His outfit is completely black. He wears a black hoodie, a black beanie, a black pants, and black fingerless gloves. The only exception is...

"My scarf!" I glower at him. He just smirks at me.

"Oh, is it important to you? I wonder what you'd do to get it back?" His smirk turns into a grin. "I mean, you and your friend there aren't really the definition of hot. You're both a bit... Flat. Oh well. If you two are the only ones here, I can't really be picky. I bet the two of you would still look _fine_ in a couple of bikinis."

I glance at Mayoi. Her face is completely flushed, and she has her free arm crossed over her chest. I guess he hit a sensitive subject for her. The boy has her so flustered her eyes are wide open in shock. They're pure black. Meanwhile, I'm absolutely fuming. I know I'm not the prettiest (or bustiest) girl out there, but he doesn't have to point it out. He even has the nerve to attempt to flirt after insulting us! _He'd better wipe that smug grin off his face quickly, or I swear..._

"Who the hell do you think you are!?" I yell at him.

"Oh, I'm glad you asked, babe. Name's Tamasine Heike. I'm the Ultimate Theif, but that shouldn't matter to a cutie like you." His grin just keeps getting bigger and bigger to the point of it being perverted.

"Well, it kinda does, considering you _stole my scarf!_ Wait, another Ultimate?"

"Another? So does that mean you babes are Ultimates too? This just keeps getting better and be- Mph!" Suddenly, Tamasine is knocked off balance by... A guy with a tree branch? He doesn't simply hit Tamsine with it. Instead, he jabs it at Tamasine like it's a sword. The newcomer wastes no time and quickly grabs my scarf from Tamasine. He then proceeds to toss the scarf at me before grabbing Tamasine himself.

"Thank you," I say to the boy, still a bit startled by his sudden entrance. He's wearing a scarlet bomber jacket, a cream-colored dress shirt, and grey slacks.

"Who are you?" Mayoi asks.

I wonder how much Mayoi knows about what just happened, but I don't have time to ask. The boy begins to introduce himself.

"My name is Osamu Akiyama. From what I heard, you're all Ultimates, right? I'm the Ultimate Fencer. It's nice to meet you ladies," he gives us a friendly, caring smile. "As for you," that smile fades as he addresses Tamasine, "How dare you treat these girls like that. You just met them, and they didn't even introduce themselves!" Osamu turns toward us again. "Er, what were your names again?"

We introduce ourselves, and Tamasine responds to Osamu.

"C'mon, give me a break. I'm just trying get some _action,_ if you know what I mean," he replies with that same perverted grin on his face. I swear I could see some blood trickling from his nose. _That is_ it _!_ I step forward and smack him.

"I'm assuming your methods have an extremely low success rate," I say coldly, glaring daggers at him.

"Don't sweat the details, sweetheart," Tamasine says as he breaks free from Osamu's hold. My slap must have caused Osamu to loosen his grip. Tamasine quickly runs down another path, blowing a kiss at me before he disappears. I scowl at him. Osamu begins to run after Tamasine, but I stop him.

"Wait, you probably shouldn't run off alone. We're stuck in a maze, and who knows how far we are from the exit? Separating seems like a really bad idea."

"I'll be fine," Osamu replies. "Besides, I should make sure he doesn't cause anymore trouble."

"Hm, I guess that's a good point," I say, wishing I could help recapture Tamasine. There's no way I'd be able to keep up; I'm a slow runner, and I'm supporting Mayoi. "Thank you so much!"

"No problem. We'll met up again later, okay? Good luck!" Osamu gives us a smile before pursuing Tamasine.

"Let's continue," Mayoi says.

After a bit more wandering, we come across a two girls holding hands. The taller of the girls, who has her teal-green hair in a side ponytail, seems to be contemplating which path to take. She wears a white dress shirt, black dress pants, and brown suspenders. The other girl, who looks to be about middle school age (though she could be younger than that), is looking around absentmindedly. She wears a bright pink shirt, neon green shorts, and kneepads that are the same green. The younger girl seems to be holding some sort of doll and a red helmet in her free hand. As she looks around, she notices the two of us, and pulls on the taller girl's sleeve.

"Ooh, ooh! Look Kazi, more people!" The younger girl's voice caused the other girl to turn around. At least, I _thought_ it was a girl. When "she" turns around, it's clear the taller of the two is actually a boy. I feel my face flush with embarrassment, even though nobody is aware of my mistake.

"Who are you two?" He asks, greeting us with a friendly smile. I can't help but smile with him, albeit a bit bashfully, as I'm still mad at myself for mistaking him for a girl. I notice he's wearing a bright red bowtie.

"M-my name is Nana Shiruku. I'm the Ultimate Seamstress."

"Mayoi Miyazaki, Ultimate Aromatherapist."

"You're Ultimates too? It's great to meet you two. My name's Kaziyuki Tsujimoto. You can call me Kazi. I'm the Ultimate Toymaker, but I like to think my real talent is making others happy," Kazi grins. _"Making others happy."_ I can tell he's completely honest about it.

"Hiya! My name is Usagi, and my talent is making things explode!" As Usagi introduces herself, I notice she has a slight lisp. Her "s" sounds sound like "th" sounds.

"Um, is she your little sister?" I ask.

"Hahaha, no, we just met a little while ago. Her full name is Usagi Osagawa. She's the Ultimate Firework Maker," Kazi explains.

"Wait, so she's an Ultimate too?" I look at the young girl. She doesn't look old enough to attend Hope's Peak. "Um, how old are you?"

"I'm fourteen!" I raise an eyebrow at her response. Her actions, the way she talks, her appearance... They're all so childish. _Well, I shouldn't really judge. At least she's friendly._

"Yeah, everybody says, 'oh, a little girl like you shouldn't be playing with explosives,' but I'm not a kid! Plus, my fireworks are the best! I should totally show you sometime..." Usagi continues to ramble on.

"I don't really like fireworks," I hear Mayoi quietly mutter under her breath.

"Anyway, do you have any idea how we got here?" I ask, realizing we never got a chance to ask Tamasine or Osamu.

Kazi and Usagi shake their heads. Kazi continues, "I'm afraid not. I woke up in a clearing just like this one before running into an unconscious Usagi. But don't worry! We'll figure out away to get out of here." It seems like he's trying to keep the mood light. Then again, I think I'm the only one really concerned about our situation.

"How about we continue traveling together?" I suggest. Everybody else agrees, and Usagi leads us though the forest (well, more like she runs down a random path and we have to follow after her). As we leave the clearing, I notice the Usagi dropped the doll she was holding. I pick it up and examine it. It's made out of sticks, flowers, and leaves. It looks like it was put together fairly quickly, but it's still beautifully crafted. _Did Kazi make this?_ I place the doll in my pocket.

The four of us find ourselves in another clearing with two new faces. A girl lays on the ground, with a boy attempting to shake her awake. The girl wears a brown baseball cap, a white shirt with blue sleeves, and khaki jeans. The boy wears a white button-up shirt, a navy vest, a white overcoat, tan trousers, and black-rimmed glasses.

"Excuse me, miss. Wake up... Hm?" The boy notices our presence. We all introduce ourselves.

"So you're all Ultimates as well... My name is Ayumu Oshiro, the Ultimate Oneirologist. It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"Um... Gesundhiet?" Usagi looks to the rest of us, but we're clueless as well.

"An oneirologist is a person who studies dreams," Ayumu explains.

"Ohhhhhhhh... That's cool!" Usagi says before running off to check something on the edge of the clearing.

"So," I say, gesturing at the girl. "Who is she?"

Ayumu sighs. "I have no idea. I woke up in a clearing similar to this one, then stumbled upon her as I tried to find a way out. I'd assume she's another Ultimate, considering the rest of us are. I've been trying to wake her for a while now."

Kazi and I exchange a look, and Mayoi frowns. Why are we all in this situation?

"Well, have you seen anybody else?" Mayoi asks.

"Well, right before I found her," he nods at the girl, "two people did run past me. They were both male. One was carrying a long stick, and the other was wearing all black. The former seemed to be chasing the latter. I was planning on following them, but then I discovered the girl."

Mayoi and I chuckle. Osamu and Tamasine. It seems they're okay. _Though Tamasine is going to be a lot less "okay" when Osamu catches him._ Suddenly, I frown. Something is bothering me. I'm not sure what it is, there just an odd feeling that-

A loud noise cuts off my thoughts. It sounds like... An explosion!? Mayoi lets out a scream and covers her ears. Kazi frantically looks around for Usagi, and I look toward the source of the explosion. Which seems to be Usagi herself. She looks extremely pleased with herself. Well, she did say her talent was making things explode... But how did did she cause an explosion? I'm pretty sure you don't just find a bomb lying in the middle if the woods.

"Huh? W-what's going on?" After my ears stop ringing, I realize the explosion woke the girl up.

"Yay, it worked!" Usagi cheers.

"Who...?" The girl looks extremely confused. I would be too, if an explosion woke me up.

"That's Usagi. She, um, likes to make things explode. I'm Nana Shiruku, the Ultimate Seamstress. What's your name?"

"Chiyoko Ayizaki, Ultimate Archeologist. Wait, are all of you Ultimates?"

The rest of the group introduces themselves, and we explain the situation to Chiyoko. She curses under her breath.

"So none of us know how we ended up in this mess. Ugh, this is just _great_!" Chiyoko scowls. She begins to storm off when Kazi lays his hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, I know it's tough. We're in the same situation you're in, remember? But it'll be fine. It's not like anything in the forest is out to get us. We just need to look for a way out together," Kazi reassures Chiyoko with a comforting smile.

"Y-yeah, you're right! Heh, I'm sorry for getting so worked up. Well, it won't do us any good to just stand here doing nothing. Let's keep moving!" Chiyoko is a lot different than how she was just a few minutes ago. She's cheerful, funny, and upbeat. It's a welcome, albeit abrupt, change.

After a bit more exploring, we stumble into another clearing. However, this clearing is a lot bigger than the other clearings, and there's definitely a lot more to see.

"I think we've found our way out of the maze," I say.

 **A/N So, we've met half of our OCs (not counting Nana), and we've made it to the central hub of the forest. I'm sorry this took awhile (I had been planning to have this out days ago), but I've been really busy lately. I'll hopefully get the next chapter up a bit quicker.**


	3. Chapter 3

This new clearing is roughly 200 meters in diameter. There is a pond in the middle of it, roughly the size of a large swimming pool. Many small cabins surround the pond in a semicircle, and three larger buildings are located on the opposite side. From where we're standing, we can see several students exploring the clearing.

"There seems to be a lot here. How about we split up into groups and explore?" Ayumu suggests. We all nod in agreement. Kazi leads Usagi to investigate one of the cabins, Mayoi decides to accompany Ayumu, and Chiyoko runs off to go talk to a couple of new students. I start to follow her, but I accidentally walk into somebody. We both fall to the ground. Many small pieces of paper, which the person was presumably carrying, flutter around us.

"I'm so sorry!" I quickly apologize, scrambling to pick up the pieces of paper. They turn out to be playing cards. I finally take a good look at the person I (quite literally) ran into. It's a girl, a bit older than me. She wears a dark blue top hat, a light yellow cape, a black skirt, and a black top with silver buttons.

"It's no big deal," she responds, helping me pick up the cards. When we're done, I help her up.

"Let me guess... Ultimate Magician?" I ask.

" _Wow_ , how did you know? Are you the Ultimate Psychic? Ooh, what number am I thinking of?" The girl looks at me incredulously. I laugh.

"No, I'm the Ultimate Seamstress. My name is Nana Shiruku. Well, you're wearing a top hat and a cape, and you're carrying around a deck of playing cards. I when you put two and two together, it's pretty obvious."

"Huh, I guess you're right. Well anyway, the name's Yasu Michi! It's awesome to meet you. Thanks for helping me out. How about a magic trick as thanks?"

"Sure, why not?" I say, smiling. This girl just gives off a really cheerful vibe. Yasu shows me a card, the ace of spades. She puts it in her hat, then proceeds to shuffle the deck. She takes the first card off the top of the deck, and it's the ace of spades! Then she takes her hat, shakes it out, and shows it to me. It's empty!

"Wow, how did you do that?" I ask. I'm actually pretty impressed. I've never really seen many magic tricks in general, and Yasu's a professional.

"A magician never tells her secrets," Yasu says, giggling. "So, know anybody else around here?"

I tell her about everybody I've met so far. I point out Chiyoko, Usagi, and Kazi to her. I don't see Ayumu or Mayoi. _They must be in one of the buildings._

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to remember how you got here, would you? Nobody else does," I ask.

"Nope, sorry. Maybe if we explore more, we'll figure it out!" Yasu says.

"Yeah. I think I'll talk to more students. What'll you do?"

"Kazi and Usagi look like they're going to explore one of those big buildings. I'll go join them. See ya later!" Yasu runs off.

I finally go to join Chiyoko, who is talking with a boy and a girl. The boy wears a button-down shirt, khaki shorts, a bow tie, and sunglasses. The girl wears dark brown cargo shorts, a white shirt with grey birds, and a tan sleeveless jacket.

"Oh, Nana! This is Sekai Kimyō and Hotaru Amemori. They're the Ultimate World Traveller and Ultimate Dart Thrower, respectively," Chiyoko explains.

"Nice to meet you two. I'm Nana Shiruku, the Ultimate Seamstress."

"It's nice to meet you too." The boy, Sekai, gives me a bashful smile.

"Yeah, ditto," Hotaru says.

"So, do they know anything?" I ask Chiyoko.

"Hey, what do ya mean by that?" Hotaru asks, looking slightly offended.

"Um, I mean, do either of you know how you got here?" I say.

"No... I just woke up in the maze. I suppose it was the same for the rest of you?" Sekai says quietly.

"Yeah..." Chiyoko mutters. We stand in silence for a few moments before I speak up.

"Well, you three can stick together. I think I'll continue exploring on my own," I say.

"Okay, see you," Hotaru says. The group walks off toward the other side of the pond. I decide to examine one of the cabins. They're square, and about five meters in length. The name plate on the door reads Hiro Takahashi. There's a picture of a pixelated boy underneath the name.

"Hm... Is this the name of another student?" I wonder aloud.

"Yes, actually," a voice says from behind me. I jump in surprise. When I turn around, I see a boy who somewhat resembles the boy on the nameplate. He wears an olive green sweater vest, a navy blue tie, a white dress shirt, and black slacks.

"Um, are you Hiro Takahashi?" I ask.

"Yes," he says. He seems reluctant to talk.

"So, what's your Ultimate Talent?" I ask.

"How do you know I'm an Ultimate?" Hiro asks, looking slightly surprised.

"Everybody here is an Ultimate. I'm Nana Shiruku, the Ultimate Seamstress. Wait, does that mean you haven't talked to anyone?" I ask.

"No, I haven't spoken to anybody. I've... Been too busy investigating. Anyway, I'm the Ultimate Cult Expert," he says.

"Oh, that seems interesting," I say.

"Seems? How much do you know about cults?" He asks.

"Er, not that much..." I reply.

"Well, it isn't really a subject I'd expect a seamstress to be apt in. My job _is_ quite... Extrodinary," Hiro says. I can hear the pride in his voice, but I'm slightly put off by his backhanded statement. _What does being a seamstress have to do with knowing about cults?_

"So, why do think we're here?" I ask reproachfully.

"Possibly to participate in some sort of ritual. It would make sense, with what seems to be a mass kidnapping. I remember being in a situation very similar to this one. I believe it involved dismemberment. I forget of what, though. I deal with so many cases, they do begin to blur. I do remember barely escaping with my life..." Hiro says.

"Er, well, hopefully that's worse case scenario. I-I mean, why us?" I stammer. _Like I wasn't worried already._

"Hm... That, I have yet to deduce. I shall go explore some more. Would you care to accompany me?" Hiro asks.

"No thank you. We'll cover more ground if we split up, right? See you!" I walk away quickly, not giving him a chance to respond. I'm afraid that if I stick with Hiro, he'll just freak me out even more. I join a group of three students, two boys and a girl. The girl seems to be arguing with one of the boys.

"How about you try actually contributing?" The girl says coldly.

"I just don't understand why you're unable to follow the simplest of instructions," the boy responds.

"Guys, can this wait...? Oh!" The other boy notices me. "Heh, sorry about them. My name's Yuki Souichiro. I'm the Ultimate Freerunner. Hey! Are you guys gonna introduce yourselves?" The others ignore him. Yuki sighs.

"No? Okay then. Her name's Ikari Nitta. She's the Ultimate Surgeon. She can actually be pretty nice, but she's kinda angry right now." _Kinda?_ Yuki continues.

"He's Shuzo Nakadai, Ultimate Movie Director. He's, um, _bossy,_ which is how he managed to upset Ikari. He usually doesn't talk all that much, though," Yuki explains. Meanwhile, the others seem to have noticed my presence.

"Oh! H-hello. Um, 'actly howlong youben there?" Ikari stammers, clearly embarrassed. I think she meant to say, "exactly how long have you been there?"

"Not too long," I reply.

"Guys, this is Nana Shiruku, the Ultimate Seamstress. Don't bother introducing yourselves, I did it for you," Yuki says.

"You should've alerted us. Ikari, I barely understood what you just said. Try speaking slower," Shuzo says. He then goes completely quite. _I just_ love _him already._

"Yes, blame him for your own ignorance," Ikari scowls, backed to her poised self.

"U-um..." I stammer. All of the arguing is making me uncomfortable. Yuki seems to notice this and clears his throat.

"Hey! It looks like everybody's gathering near the exit to the clearing. Let's go join them!" Yuki says, nudging the pair toward the group.

"Hey, wait." I stop Yuki. "Could you do me a favor? A friend of mine is still in the maze looking for someone. Do you think you can go find them?"

"S-sure thing! Um, what if I get lost? I wouldn't want to miss whatever we're talking about," He asks, blushing slightly.

I think for a bit before an idea comes to me. I put my hand into my left pocket. _Bingo._ I pull out a spool of white thread. I always carry some thread and a couple of needles in case something requires mending. I hand the spool to Yuki.

"Here, use this as a marker. Tie it to a tree or something and unwind it as you go. My friend's name is Osamu. He's wearing a red bomber jacket, and the guy he's looking for is wearing all black. If you run into _that_ guy, catch him."

"Er, okay? Either way, thanks for the thread. That's a pretty clever idea. I-I'll go look for them!"

Yuki runs off, and I follow the other two to the end of the clearing. All of the others seem to have gathered there already. I notice a fire pit with a few logs surrounding it. We stand around for a moment before Kazi speaks up.

"So, how many of us are there?" He asks.

"Fifteen in total. We're missing three at the moment," Hiro says.

"How do _you_ know?" Hotaru says with her hands on her hips.

"I _know_ because there are fifteen of those little cabins. Each cabin is clearly for one us, as they are labeled with our names. Fifteen cabins mean there is a total of fifteen students. There are thirteen of us gathered here right now. Therefore, we're missing three. Must I spell it out for you?" Hiro replies hostilely.

"W-well..." Hotaru's eyes darted from person to person. I guess she's counting. "What about those bigger buildings?"

"Ooh! Ooh! I know! Me, Kazi, and Yasu checked one of the buildings out. There was a kitchen filled with food!" Usagi piped.

"Yeah, there seemed to be some sort of cafeteria as well. There was also this weird vending machine, but it didn't seem to take normal money. There was some sort of scanner attached to it, but it looked too big to take credit cards," Yasu said.

"I believe Ayumu and I explored the second building," Mayoi says.

"Ah, yes. The front room contained washers and dryers. There were two other doors, but they were locked. Judging by the signs on the doors, they seemed to be bathrooms," Ayumu says.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, the doors to those cabins were locked too. I wonder how we're supposed to open them," Chiyoko says.

"Yuki, Shuzo, and I explored the final building. It was a storage room filled with miscellaneous objects," Ikari says.

"Speaking of which, I wonder when Yuki and Osamu are coming back?" I wonder aloud. Suddenly, a voice calls out.

"HEY!" It's Yuki and Osamu, holding a very disgruntled Tamasine between them. As soon as he sees the girls, he straightens up.

"You can let me go now. It's not like I'll be going anywhere with all these lovely ladies around," Tamasine says, flashing a grin at the girl closest to him. Which happens to be Ikari. She rolls her eyes and steps away.

"Anyway, what did we miss?" Osamu asks.

Ayumu explains what we've learned to the three.

"We actually found something too," Yuki says, pulling what seems to be a small tablet out of his pocket. "This fell out of my pocket while I was chasing after Tamasine. Watch this."

Yuki pushes the button on the front of the tablet. His name is displayed on the screen, followed by a list of sorts. An odd symbol with the number zero next to it is in the upper-righthand corner of the screen. Yuki selects "Report Cards" on the list. A list of our names appears. He taps on the first name on the list, which happens to be Osamu's. A portrait of him comes up, followed by his name, gender, height, weight, age, likes, and dislikes.

"You don't like statues?" Usagi asks curiously.

"N-no, I don't. They're just... Creepy," Osamu replies, clearly embarassed.

Yuki exits out of the profiles and selects "Map". It shows a map of the clearing and the maze where we woke up. The exit we are standing next to is simply labeled "Answers." _What does that mean?_ Each of our cabins are marked, as are the cafeteria, bathrooms, and storage room. The other three choices in the main menu are grayed out, but they're labeled "Mini Game", "School Rules", and "Truth Bullets".

"Let's go explore!" Usagi says, running towards the exit. For the first time, I notice the sign placed in front of the exit. It looks like it was made by a five-year-old. The words, "Warning! Beware of bears!" seem to be written in red crayon. They're followed by a picture of the oddest bear I've ever seen. It had a white belly and muzzle. The left half of the bear resembles a simple white teddy bear with black eyes. But the other half was downright demonic looking. It's body is pitch black, with an oddly shaped red eye. It has a wide, pointy-toothed grin. Despite how childish the whole thing is, it freaks me out.

"Are you sure?" I ask. "It could be a dead end. What if the maze leads to the exit? We should thoroughly search it. We wouldn't-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just follow me!," she says, not looking back. _You didn't listen to a word I just said, did you?_ Suddenly, she freezes. We all do. A loud laugh rings throughout the clearing.

"Upupupupupupu..."

 **A/N Hm, I wonder who that could be? Anyway, now that we've met all of our participants, time to properly credit all of the awesome people who's OCs are in the story. Thank you all so much! Also, says I'll try to get the next chapter out quicker, takes over a month to update. Yeeeeaah... Sorry about that. Thanks for being patient with me.**

 **Nana Shiruku~Ultimate Seamstress~Genie of the Fourth Wall**

 **Mayoi Miyazaki~Ultimate Aromatherapist~SDproductions**

 **Tamasine Heike~Ultimate Theif~mpjindustries**

 **Osamu Akiyama~Ultimate Fencer~TheStuffIlike**

 **Kaziyuki Tsujimoto~Ultimate Toymaker~Kkepicness**

 **Usagi Osagawa~Ultimate Firework Maker~SethRollinsandBoDallas**

 **Ayumu Oshiro~Ultimate Oneirologist~Kiwikowa**

 **Chiyoko Ayizaki~Ultimate Archeologist~Jaide00**

 **Yasu Michi~Ultimate Magician~CaptainQuackin**

 **Sekai Kimyō~Ultimate World Traveller~culture**

 **Hotaru Amemori~Ultimate Dart Thrower~ShadedLyht**

 **Hiro Takahashi~Ultimate Cult Expert~Limeade Space Dorito**

 **Yuki Souichiro~Ultimate Freerunner~bluesnowkitty**

 **Ikari Nitta~Ultimate Surgeon~globalization**

 **Shuzo Nakadai~Ultimate Movie Director~xoxoCharcleffxoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

"Upupupupupupu... So, you're all here!" A splitting image of the bear on the sign appears, laughing at our bewildered expressions. It's about three feet tall and basically looks like a demonic teddy bear. _A_ demonic teddy bear _is talking to us. This is just weird._ It turns to Usagi, who seems more intrigued than frightened.

"You know, you really should pay attention to warning signs. Don't worry, though. I don't bite! Upupupu!" It laughs again. "Anyway, I am Monokuma, your headmaster."

"Headmaster? We're in the middle of the woods," Chiyoko says, staring at Monokuma with wide eyes. Everybody seems to have a similar reaction.

"Well, so much has been going on at Hope's Peak Academy, I figured it would be nice to change things up. Move to somewhere that was more peaceful, y'know? This place _is_ nice, isn't-" Monokuma is cut off by Shuzo.

"Get out of my way," Shuzo says, pushing Monokuma to the side. Monokuma falls on his back.

"Hey! How dare you! Help me up this instant, or..."

"Or what? You're just some toy. I don't have time to listen to you," Shuzo responds, sounding disinterested. I'm still apprehensive, though.

"So that's how it's going to be, eh? Upupupupu..." Monokuma laughs one more time before falling silent. Suddenly, I hear a soft beeping. It slowly becomes louder.

"What the hell?" Somebody mutters in confusion. I don't have time to figure out who, however, as Tamasine suddenly yells out.

"MOVE!" He bolts straight for Monokuma and quickly tosses him into the pond. A huge explosion rings throughout the clearing, and water shoots into the air.

"Did it just... Explode?" Mayoi asks.

"What exactly do you think that could've possibly been otherwise?" Ikari asks.

"I think she was being rhetorical, dearie," Tamasine tries to lighten the mood, but he's clearly just as shaken as the rest of us.

"So... Is it gone?" Sekai asks meekly.

"Gahaha! Sorry, but NOPE!" Monokuma pops back up in the same place he was before. "Listen, I'll let you all off with a warning this time, but assaulting the headmaster is against the rules! The next time anybody breaks the rules... Let's just say it won't be pretty. Upupupu! Oh, speaking of the rules, you can find them in your E-Handbooks."

"You mean that thing I found in my pocket?" Yuki asks.

"Yep! You all should have one," Monokuma says. I check my pockets. Sure enough, I find a tablet just like Yuki's.

"So... Why exactly have you gathered us all here? You seem to know about Hope's Peak Academy, so I assume you know we're all Ultimates," Ayumu says.

"Wait, this... _Thing_ is the one that trapped us all here?" Hotaru raises her eyebrow.

"Hey, that _thing_ has feelings, you know! Anyway, trapped isn't really the right word..." Monokuma looks thoughtful.

"Huh? Cut the crap and tell us what's going on!" Chiyoko scowls.

"Aw, I'm sorry for all the confusion... Not! I mean, I _could_ tell you, but what's the fun in that? I think it'll be a lot better if you seek out the 'Answers' for yourself! Why are you all here? What is happening in the outside world? How did you get here? You may find the answers you're looking for if you venture into the woods," Monokuma says, giving each of us a thoughtful look. "Then again, there's a reason people say 'ignorance is bliss...' Moving on, upupu! Getting out is a different story. There aren't any exits, but escaping is pretty straightforward. You just have to one teeny-tiny thing."

"What is it?" Hiro asks suspiciously. "Do we have to pledge our allegiance to the organization you serve? Worship you as a god? Preform a sacrifice, maybe?"

"Um, aren't those some pretty extreme conclusions to jump to?" Yuki asks.

"Pretty standard in my line of work." Hiro shrugs his shoulders.

"Upupupu! Wow, today is just the day of good guesses! First Nana, and now you!" Monokuma laughs.

"Wait, you mean when she guessed my talent? How'd you know about that?" Yasu gasps, taking a step back. I don't say anything. This bear is really starting to freak me out.

"I think the more concerning thing is which part of what Hiro said was right? I /really/ don't want to worship a stuffed animal,'" Hotaru says nervously.

"Oh, the sacrifice thing! If you want to get out of here, you have to murder one of your fellow classmates," Monokuma says nonchalantly.

"What...? Did you say... M-murder!?" Ayumu says in shock. Everybody begins talking at once. I just stand there, shocked silent.

"SILENCE! Look, if you're gonna play the game properly, you have to actually listen to me. As I was saying, if you want to escape, you must murder one of your classmates and get away with it. Doesn't matter how you do it. Stabbing, bludgeoning, strangling, crushing, poisoning... Just make sure you don't get caught! Once the body has been discovered, the Class Trial will commence. During the class trial, the rest of the students will try to determine who the blackened is. If the blackened is found, they will be punished. But if the rest of you choose incorrectly, then everybody _but_ the blackened will be punished, and the blackened will be free to leave. And because I'm so generous, no matter if the blackened is found or not, they get to ask me a question at the end of the trial. I give you my word that I'll answer it truthfully," Monokuma finishes his speech.

"This is absurd!" Ayumu exclaims. Quite a few people murmur in assent. I would join them, but my breathing is too unsteady.

"What exactly do you mean by 'punished?'" Kazi asks nervously.

"It depends. We'll discuss the details when the trial comes," Monokuma says.

"Wait, but if nobody kills anybody, then we won't have to do this trial thing!" Usagi says, grinning with pride at the thought of outsmarting Monokuma. _So naive_.

"Upupupupu... Aw, how cute! It seems this will be your first taste of true despair! Anyway, I think that about sums up what you need to know for now. Well, see you soon!" And with that, Monokuma disappears into the woods.

After Monokuma leaves us to ourselves, I realize I'm trembling like a leaf. Everybody is in stunned silence, but they don't seem to be nearly as frightened as I am. _Is it because they're ready for this? Does that mean_ I'm _the weakest one here? I can't kill anybody. I-I couldn't! Does that make me the most likely target? Oh god, I'm going to die. I'm going to be killed in this forest. I'mgoingtodieI'mgoingtodieI'mgoingto-_

"Nana?" Mayoi speaks softly, lightly touching my arm.

"NO! S-STAY AWAY FROM ME!" I scream, running away. Away from everybody else. Away from all of the people who are probably plotting to kill me right now since I've just proven how weak I am. _Stupid. You should've pretended to be strong. Too late now. Run, because it's all you can do._ I run into the maze. I don't care where I end up. I realize they'll probably chase after me, so I dart off the path. Sometime later, my knees buckle from exhaustion. I curl up into shaking ball and close my eyes tightly. Tears stream down my face as everything fades to black. _Is this feeling... Despair?_

 **A/N I've started school, so updates may be a bit sporadic.**


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